Re:A modest proposal
by falcolas on Saturday September 09, 2017 @11:08AM
(#15207433)
> It's weird that a language with the mantra "explicit is better than implicit"
The lack of braces enforces a certain style - something that can be found throughout Python. For example, the lack of multi-line lambda statements.
> braces implied by the negative space
It's easier to think of it in the same way that the compiler does: indent and dedent. Indent? Creating a new scope. Dedent? Exiting the current scope. All of the "constant 4 spaces" and "spaces instead of tabs" simply makes it easier for humans to interpret the indent and dedents visually.
In my experience in writing code in multiple languages: even when using braces you, the coder, still effectively require indentation to visually parse blocks. Yes, copying and pasting code is a touch harder, and most text editors are too lazy to parse for indents and dedents, but the first is mitigated by applying basic DRY principles, the second by installing a python-aware plugin.
The lack of braces enforces a certain style - something that can be found throughout Python. For example, the lack of multi-line lambda statements.
> braces implied by the negative space
It's easier to think of it in the same way that the compiler does: indent and dedent. Indent? Creating a new scope. Dedent? Exiting the current scope. All of the "constant 4 spaces" and "spaces instead of tabs" simply makes it easier for humans to interpret the indent and dedents visually.
In my experience in writing code in multiple languages: even when using braces you, the coder, still effectively require indentation to visually parse blocks. Yes, copying and pasting code is a touch harder, and most text editors are too lazy to parse for indents and dedents, but the first is mitigated by applying basic DRY principles, the second by installing a python-aware plugin.